[Willie Green]

I'm not sure why an accident of geography gives the Cairo Museum a greater claim to the Rosetta Stone than the British Museum. Neither institution has any greater connection with the Egyptian state of 2000 years ago than the other.

I'm not sure why there's a Holocaust museum in Washington D.C. when the Holocaust took place in Europe.

Anyway, despite the transition of government institutions over thousands of years, the Rosetta Stone is obviously an archaeological treasure of Egypts cultural past. IMHO, it should be returned to them, especially considering that they have now developed the cultural institutions to properly care for it. (That was not true 50~100 years ago.)

[ml/nj]

the Rosetta Stone is obviously an archaeological treasure of Egypts cultural past. IMHO, it should be returned to them

Twaddle!

Isn't it interesting that we are so often told how the Muslims were the ones who preserved Greek culture for us. But when they had the Rosetta Stone sitting under the Islamic watch for over a thousand years they hadn't a clue.

This is reminiscent, to me, of Gamla. It was a place described by Josephus, but no one knew whether it really existed until after the '67 war when Israel captured the Golan Heights. And soon thereafter, archeologists discovered the place. (See 4th and 5th photos indexed at this link.) The Muslims care nothing for any history that isn't theirs.

The idea of returning the Rosetta Stone to Islamic Swine is absurd. Were it done, I have little doubt that within 20 years someone would recommend smashing it because it was a dangerous alien influence.

ML/NJ

[Doc On The Bay]

Well, they took such great care of it & other antiquities in the past (MOST of Egypt's "Ancient History" has been preserved by other Nations for the past few centuries), the stone should be returned to them in the condition it would be in had the Egyptians Themselves uncovered it--say, dropped on the Nile Delta from 40,000ft!

Doc

[Right Wing Professor]

Anyway, despite the transition of government institutions over thousands of years, the Rosetta Stone is obviously an archaeological treasure of Egypts cultural past. IMHO, it should be returned to them, especially considering that they have now developed the cultural institutions to properly care for it.

Sure. And if an Islamist government takes over in a couple of years, and decides to destroy it, as the Taliban destroyed the Bamyan Buddhas, who cares about the loss to the world?